UST GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL MAT MARK LUKE YHN ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV

JOEL C1 C2 C3

UST by section JOEL 2:1

⌂ ← JOEL 2:1–2:32 → ║ ©

The Book of Joel 2

2 Blow horns on Mount Zion,

God’s sacred hill in Jerusalem!

Shout to the people of Judah that they should be afraid and tremble,

because it will soon be the time for Yahweh to punish us further.

2 That will be a very dark and gloomy day;

A huge swarm of locusts forms a black cloud, making it very dark.

The swarm spreads over the mountains like the light of dawn;

they are like a mighty army.

Nothing like this has ever happened before,

and nothing like this will ever happen again.

3 It is as though the locusts set everything on fire wherever they go.

In front of them, the land was as beautiful as the garden of Eden,

but behind them the land is like a desert,

and nothing is able to withstand them.

4 The locusts resemble horses

and they run like war horses.

5 Leaping over the mountaintops,

they make a noise like rumbling chariots,

like a mighty army that is preparing for a battle,

or like the roar of a fire that burns up stubble in a field.

6 When people see them coming,

they become very pale and frightened.

7 The locusts run and climb over walls like soldiers do;

each one continues on its way

and never turns aside from its course.

8 They rush straight ahead

without pushing each other.

People try to fight against them,

but that does not cause them to stop.

9 They swarm over the city walls and enter our houses;

they enter through our windows as thieves do.

10 It is as though they cause the earth to shake and the sky to tremble as they come.

The sun and the moon become dark,

and the stars do not shine

because there are so many locusts in the sky.

11 Yahweh commands this army of countless locusts,

and they obey him powerfully.

This time during which Yahweh is judging and punishing us is very terrible,

with the result that it seems that no one can survive it.

12 But Yahweh says,

“In spite of these disasters that you have experienced,

you can still reconcile yourselves to me in your inner being.

Weep, and mourn, and fast to show that you are sorry that you have abandoned me.”

13 Do not tear only your clothes

to show that you are sorry;

more importantly, show in your inner being that you are truly sorry

and in that way reconcile yourselves to Yahweh your God.

Do this because Yahweh is merciful and kind;

he does not quickly become angry;

instead, he greatly and faithfully loves us,

and he does not like to punish us.

14 It is possible that he will change his mind about punishing you

and, instead, act mercifully toward you.

If he does that, he will bless you

by giving you plenty of grain and wine

so that you can offer some of those things for sacrifices to our God, Yahweh.

15 Blow the signal horns on Mount Zion!

Gather the people together!

Set apart time to fast, to show that you are sorry for your sins.

16 Gather everyone together and prepare them for a special meeting for Yahweh.

Bring everyone—

the old people and the children, even the babies;

yes, even summon bridegrooms and brides from their rooms.

17 Tell the priests who serve Yahweh to cry all the way from the entrance of the temple to the altar

and to pray this:

“Yahweh, be merciful to us, your people;

do not allow people from other nations to despise us;

do not allow them to rule over us and say among themselves,

‘Their God has abandoned them!’ ”

18 Then Yahweh showed that he cared deeply about his people

and that he would act mercifully toward them.

19 When the people prayed,

Yahweh answered and said,

“I will give you plenty of grain and wine and olive oil,

and you will be satisfied.

I will no longer allow other nations to insult you.

20 When an army from the north comes to attack you,

I will force them to continue past Jerusalem

into the desert.

Some will go into the Dead Sea in the east,

and some will go into the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

There they will all die, and their bodies will stink powerfully,

because they were powerful in what they did.”

Do not be afraid, people, for what might happen to the land.

You can rejoice, because Yahweh will be powerful in what he does! 22 And the wild animals should not be afraid,

because the meadows will soon become green again;

the fig trees and other trees will be full of fruit,

and the grapevines will be covered with grapes.

23 You people of Jerusalem,

rejoice about what Yahweh, your God, will do for you.

He will send rain to deliver you at the right time—

before planting and before harvesting,

as he did previously.

24 The ground where you thresh the grain will be covered with grain,

and your vats where you store the fresh grape juice and olive oil will be full.

25 Yahweh said, “I will repay you for everything that those great swarms of locusts destroyed,

that enormous army that I sent to attack you.

26 Then you will eat until your stomachs are full.

Then you will praise me, Yahweh, your God,

for the wonderful things that I have done for you,

and never again will I let others shame you, my people.

27 When that happens, you will know that I am always among you,

that I am Yahweh, your God,

and that there is no other God.

Never again will I let others shame you.”

28 “Some time later, I will give my Spirit to many people.

You sons and daughters will proclaim messages that come directly from me.

Your old men will have dreams that come from me,

and your young men will have visions that come from me.

29 At that time, I will generously give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women.

30 I will do unusual things on the earth and in the sky.

On the earth, there will be much bloodshed,

and there will be very large fires and smoke that resembles huge clouds.

31 In the sky, the sun will become dark, and the moon will become as red as blood.

Those things will happen before that great and terrible day when I, Yahweh, come to judge all people.

32 And I will do this: I will save everyone who worships me.

As I have said before, ‘On Mount Zion in Jerusalem I will make a way for them to escape;

those whom I have chosen will survive.’ ”

JOEL C1 C2 C3